


Pepper, Picture of a Princess

by completelyhopeless



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Character Study, Community: comment_fic, F/M, Gen, body image issues, may have gone further than implying, tried for gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-23
Updated: 2014-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-26 16:43:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2659094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/completelyhopeless/pseuds/completelyhopeless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pepper's namesake, her freckles, made her feel ugly, far from a princess. Putting on that blue dress makes her reconsider that assessment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pepper, Picture of a Princess

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TourmalineQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TourmalineQueen/gifts).



> I can't remember if I read somewhere else that Pepper's freckles were an issue for her or if that just jumped into headcanon when I saw the prompt.
> 
> Fills the prompt: _[MCU, Pepper Potts, as pretty as a picture (of a princess)](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/568858.html?thread=79775002#t79775002)_
> 
> I did try and make this as gen as I could even though I do personally ship Tony/Pepper.

* * *

Growing up, Pepper never thought she was pretty.

Not a girl with so many freckles they called her "Pepper" instead of Virginia. Now, older, she knew she was lucky that they'd chosen “Pepper” instead of what they might have done with her first name. When they made fun of her freckles, though, her eyes would sting even if she did not cry. She felt ugly.

Through her teens and later on even into college, she had done her best to cover them up, hide them with makeup and wearing her hair in her face and trying not to be seen. She stumbled onto the perfect job when she was with Tony Stark. Everyone saw him. No one saw her. She could stand right next to him and be invisible. It was so easy when he didn't see her as a woman. She was Pepper, and he never tried to sleep with her despite his many conquests.

She must not be pretty at all.

Then, one day, on impulse, she bought herself an expensive blue dress. A designer dress. An overpriced dress without a back.

She put it on and looked in the mirror, feeling for the first time what dozens of others must have felt. Pretty. She was dressed like... like a princess.

The effect was so disconcerting she forgot to put on deodorant and spent the first part of the party worrying about it.

Then Tony danced with her, and as humiliated as she was, in some ways, the picture of the princess seemed complete.


End file.
